Parenting is already a balancing act—school drop-offs, late-night talks, endless to-do lists. Now imagine adding another responsibility: representing thousands of people in Parliament while raising two daughters in a digital age that doesn’t always play fair.
“I often say I’m both minister and mom,” Ya’ara Saks, Canada’s former Minister of Mental Health and Addictions told Lianne Castelino in an interview for Where Parents Talk. “I’m a single mom to two amazing teenage daughters, and at the same time I’m holding space for parents and kids across the country.”
Saks isn’t just navigating the pressures of politics—she has been doing it while raising daughters in a world where online vitriol, misinformation, and public scrutiny can cut deep.
A Calling Rooted in Values
Saks entered federal politics in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. The decision, she says, came from both her lived experience as a single parent and her professional background in politics and mental health.
“In my previous life, I worked as a political staffer,” she recalls. “Since I was 19, I’ve been bitten by the bug of the incredible world that politics offers in really actioning on your values and the things that matter to you.”
For Saks, politics has been more fulfilling than she expected. “It exceeds my expectations because I’ve managed to work with some incredible people to do really, really important work for Canadians. And it’s exciting—it’s inspiring because these policies and the programs we put out are really inspired by the communities that are advocating for them.”
Facing the Noise—and the Hate
Along with opportunity however, comes intense scrutiny.
Like many women in public life, Saks has faced hateful online comments, social media attacks, and even hostile interactions in person.
“I’m not going to hide from the fact or deny it,” she admitted. “I’ve been the regular target of hateful posts on social media, of hateful interactions in person that I’ve had to say no to and put a stop to. It’s hard. I don’t think I should candy coat this—it’s hard to not let relentless hate and vitriol online get to you.”
She pointed out the particular toll on women leaders. “It’s the height of misogyny, frankly, when they go so aggressively after women,” she said. “As politicians, we have a duty and a responsibility to model that level of respect and civility that should be at the highest places of power. And those who choose not to engage that way—shame on them.”
Protecting Her Daughters
For Saks, the stakes are deeply personal. Every public statement, every headline, and every online comment doesn’t just affect her.
“When I decided to put up my hand, it was in the middle of the pandemic,” she explained. “I was home with two kids in lockdown in Ontario and decided this was my time. But I also sat my kids down and we had a really genuine conversation about it. We talked about me not being at home as much, about being public facing, and what their comfort level would be.”
Saks emphasizes the importance of boundaries—both as a politician and as a parent. “I often say I’m not my kids’ best friend. I’m their parent first. That comes with boundaries of how we engage with each other and with the world.”
She also works to shield her children’s identities and online presence. “My kids don’t have the same last name as I do, so they’re able to walk through the world as themselves. I want them to inhabit their own lives completely as themselves.”
Still, her daughters sometimes see the vitriol directed at their mother. “They’ll come to me and ask, ‘Did this really happen? Did this person say this to you?’ And we talk about it. My girls often say, ‘Mommy, why don’t you fight back?’ And sometimes I do—when I need to set boundaries and say, ‘No, you don’t have permission to do this.’ That’s about modelling for them that there are backstops, that consent matters—even online.”
Lessons for Parents Everywhere
Despite the unique stage she has occupied, much of what Saks describes applies to parents outside the political arena — the need to teach boundaries, resilience, and respect in an increasingly noisy, digital world.
“It’s about walking the talk,” she said. “Teaching kids healthy boundaries, teaching them about consent—it’s really about all the spaces they inhabit, whether they’re with me, with others, online, or at school. If we can set that example for our daughters, I think it’s the best tools we can give them.”
She adds, “Humans need humans. You cannot replace the value of an in-person or authentic conversation about the things that are hard, that are joyful, that are challenging. That doesn’t happen in the world of Twitter—it happens when we show up for each other.”
A Model of Resilience
For Saks, the journey is about showing her daughters—and those she represents—that leadership and parenting aren’t separate roles, but intertwined responsibilities that demand courage, empathy, and clarity.
“ I want my daughters to see how we navigate through spaces that are compassionate, challenging, and rewarding. That’s the model I want to set for them—and for all of us.”
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